Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete

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Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete, also known as El Viejo, was a Spanish nobleman and soldier who served as the third Viceroy of Peru from June 29, 1556, until his death on March 30, 1561.

Early life
He was born around 1500 in Cañete, Spain, into a high-ranking noble family. He held important local roles in Spain, including governor of Cuenca and royal chief huntsman of Castile. A seasoned military officer, he fought with distinction in Granada, France, and Flanders and traveled with Emperor Charles V to Germany and Flanders.

Viceroy of Peru
Named viceroy in 1555, Hurtado de Mendoza traveled first to Panama, where he dealt with a rebellion of fugitive black slaves by entrusting Pedro de Ursúa with the task of suppressing it. He arrived in Lima on June 29, 1556, at a time when the colony was still recovering from earlier uprisings. The Audiencia in Lima had been governing under an interim viceroy, Melchor Bravo de Saravia, and its judges often clashed with each other.

Rule and reforms
Hurtado de Mendoza ruled with a strong hand. He executed many former rebels and banished some of his dissenters. He created a permanent guard in Lima and increased coastal defenses by adding more galleys. He supported education and health by founding schools, including the College of San Juan de la Penitencia in Lima for poor Mestizo girls and another in Trujillo, and by helping endow the University of Lima. He founded the Hospital of San Andrés in Lima and moved the mummies of Inca rulers Viracocha, Yupanqui, and Huayna Capac there for safekeeping.

Expansion and administration
In 1558 he founded the city of Cuenca (near the old Inca site Tomebampa) in what is now Ecuador. In Chile, he established the cities of Mendoza and Osorno in 1559 and also supported the Audiencia of Chuquisaca. He sent expeditions to pacify risky areas and to confront bands of adventurers. He entrusted the pacification of the Amazon to Pedro de Ursúa and the conquest of the Chiriguanos and the plains of Condorillo to Andrés Manso. He appointed his son García, then 22 years old, as governor of Chile. In 1557 mercury was discovered in Huancavélica, important for silver mining, and in 1558 he restored local authority over native chiefs.

Sayri Tupac and policy
On January 5, 1560, he met Sayri Tupac, the last grandson of Huayna Capac, in Lima. Sayri Tupac renounced his claim to the Inca Empire and accepted baptism (taking the name Diego) and was given the title Prince of Yucay with substantial revenues.

Decline and death
Despite some achievements, Hurtado de Mendoza faced many complaints about his arbitrary and harsh governance, including alleged mistreatment of exiles. King Philip II eventually removed him from office and named Diego López de Zúñiga as his successor. López arrived in Paita in January 1561, but Hurtado de Mendoza fell ill and died in Lima before the new viceroy could reach the capital. He was buried in the Cathedral of Cuenca, Spain.

Family
He married Magdalena Manrique y Luna in 1532, and they had a large family, including a son named García who later served as governor of Chile.